For any special day... whether it's your wedding day, rehearsal dinner or an engagement party... if you are looking for a truly special setting, then plan to visit the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre in North London. Located on the grounds of the former Spencer estate, the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre is one of London's most exclusive addresses for a dream wedding. Let us explain...

Spencer weddings with a personal touch

Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre, formerly known as Spencer Hall, is well known to most Londoners and perhaps not at all to others. Its secluded grounds, elegant manor house and location so close to the heart of the city make it fabulous for weddings and a surprise for people visiting the centre for the first time.

When you host your wedding at Spencer, Cliff Fielder, the centre’s Food & Beverage Manager, and his team strive to cater to your every need. With over twenty years of hospitality experience and eight years at Spencer, Cliff says that his creativity and focus on service ensure your day is one you will remember forever. On-site planning is provided by their resident Wedding Planner, Allen Morgan, whose goal is to manage all the details from your initial questions all the way to serving your guests on your special day. "A bride who chooses to host their wedding with us can enjoy the day they've always imagined knowing every detail is attended to," Cliff and Allen told us.

Spencer is proud of their culinary team lead by Peter Ellison as Executive Chef and Assadang Langsub as Chef de Cuisine. Assadang is the winner of the 2007 International Copper Skillet Award Competition and brings a creative flair to the kitchen and its offerings. "Together, these chefs work with a very talented team that provides delights that feed all of your senses as well as your appetite," Cliff told The Ring. He knows the difference and states that, "our kitchen prepares our dishes 'to order' and we are known for that. It truly is world class."

A Georgian manor in nature's playground

This beautiful Georgian manor which offers picturesque grounds and a newly expanded dining room has been making brides' dreams come true for over fifteen years. Spencer truly is the destination for your entire wedding. Imagine celebrating your ceremony on the manicured back garden and gazebo, capturing stunning wedding photos on the grounds, and hosting your reception in a marquis tent or in one of Spencer’s exclusive dining rooms. Then, when the night is done, you and your guests can retire to one of the 125 on-site guestrooms.

Set back from Windermere Road in North London, the estate is situated on thirty parkland acres adjacent to the Thames River. Walking through the grounds makes you feel as if you’ve been whisked away to a secluded place, even though you are still in the city of London. The historical parkland setting provides the backdrop for an intimate affair, while several million dollars in renovations over the past two years guarantee that Spencer offers all the amenities you and your guests will need on your special day.

Spencer spaces

Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre plays host to groups as big as 170, with room to spare. Its unique multi-room layout provides the backdrop for many sizes and styles of receptions.

Lindsay and Nathan Hall were married July 26, 2008, and told The Ring how happy they were with the facilities. "... The space is brilliant because it is actually three rooms (all attached) and a patio. The dining room is small enough to feel intimate - but not too small to seem crowded. The colours worked well with our wedding; however, we did opt for chair covers (to give it that 'wedding' feel). The other two rooms are attached and provide space for dancing, lounging, chatting and playing pool (we requested the pool table remain for our reception; however, they offered to have it covered if we so desired). The patio provided us with a perfect space to escape the party and allowed our smoking guests to still feel included in the festivities."

Just like Lindsay and Nathan did, couples can book exclusive use of the Asher's Dining Room, Asher's Lounge and the Garden Room for their wedding with more than ninety guests.

The large, newly expanded Asher's Dining Room has a working fireplace and can be used for both the ceremony and the reception. This space, which connects to Asher's Lounge and the Garden Room, accommodates weddings of up to 170 people for a plated dinner.

Spencer's Garden Room was specifically designed for ceremonies because of its large impressive windows that allow natural light to fill the room. The room showcases the wedding party and is great for photos. The Garden Room holds seventy to eighty people for the ceremony with an expansive view of the surrounding grounds. Regardless of the season, Spencer lends itself beautifully to weddings.

For more intimate ceremonies or receptions, the Spencer Dining Room offers a colonial setting with a central fireplace and mantle. This Spencer space can accommodate up to sixty people for a plated dinner.

Because of space, attention and the fact that weddings are so intricate, Spencer rarely hosts more than one wedding per day. That said, they do try to accommodate couples when they can. "If they are smaller weddings, we can potentially host two events in one day."

Our favourite menu choices...

(Prices cover your wedding at Spencer and do not include taxes or 15% gratuities. Room rental is extra.)

Thames Plated Dinner Package | Canapés • Seasonal green salad or Forest mushroom & smoked cheddar bisque • Roast prime rib of Canadian beef • Pan seared chicken supreme • Vegetable ravioli • White chocolate cheesecake or Warm apple flan

Fanshawe Plated Dinner Package | Canapés • Seasonal green salad • Spanish onion & brie cheese soup or Butternut squash & pumpkin bisque • Herb rubbed beef striploin • Roast marinated breast of chicken • Poached salmon fillet • Curried vegetable samosas • Dark and white chocolate mousse or Drambuie scented crème brûlée

Forest City Plated Dinner Package | Canapés • Cucumber & spinach salad tower • Duo of sweet red & green roasted pepper soup or Sun dried tomato & smoked cheddar bisque • Roast beef tenderloin • Baked chicken breast parcel • Poached orange roughy fillet • Vegetable bhajis • Fresh fruit flan or Chocolate caramel dome

Picture perfect

A special feature to note for wedding photography is that only couples who book Spencer for their weddings can have photos taken on the grounds. In addition to not worrying about other couples or wedding parties while on-site, the memories they capture will have a unique backdrop.

One of London's best kept secrets

A Spencer wedding has to be one of London's best kept secrets. It has been an incredible choice for those brides who have discovered it and were looking for an all-in-one spectacular wedding location where every detail is attended to. From ceremony, photo shoot and reception, to your wedding night and guest accommodations, you feel like you're taken care of here. “When you’re making the biggest commitment of your life," Cliff says, "we want to offer you everything Spencer has – a beautiful location, personalized service, and impeccable food.”

Walking you through it...

To book a wedding at Spencer you'll initially meet with Cliff or Allen to discuss dates, your needs, packages, budget, and everything in between. They suggest that you book twelve months or more in advance to guarantee your preferred date. They are willing to accommodate last minute bookings up to a month in advance providing they have availability. You’ll meet with the Spencer team again a month before the big day to finalize all important details. And of course, before you make your final menu selections, you and your fiancé will have a personal menu testing to sample your choices.

If you have audio-visual needs for your reception, Spencer is fully equipped with a state of the art sound and AV system. Not only will your guests be able to see your life story in pictures, but they will be able to clearly hear the special words of your family and friends during speeches.

Your Spencer wedding includes...

• Personal on-site wedding planner
• Printed hotel reservation invitation insert
• Menu cards for each table
• Wedding day timeline for overnight guests at check in
• Selection of hot hors d'oeuvres and cold canapés served butler style during pre-dinner reception
• Your choice of tastefully prepared menus
• One glass sparking wine for toasting following dinner
• Late evening regular coffee, decaf coffee and tea service
• Three votive candles on each table with white candles
• Linen tablecloths and napkins
• Complimentary parking
• Preferred room rates for overnight guests
• Complimentary cake cutting

A few of The Ring's favourite things...

Guest rooms at Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre are a favourite feature for many of the couples that exchange vows here. They offer a fabulous $99 wedding rate for all wedding 'blocks' (groups of rooms), whether the reception is at Ivey Spencer or not. Gotta love that!

Details, details, details

• Cliff recommends that you call 12 months ahead so that you may book your desired wedding date, however you may call at any time to check for available dates.
• Spencer can accommodate last minute bookings up to a month in advance, provided there is an opening.
• A $1000 deposit is required to book your wedding at Spencer.
• 50% of the amount is due three months before your wedding.
• By one month before the wedding, you must have 85% of the total paid.
• The final balance is due right after your wedding.
• Prices do not include applicable taxes and gratuities (15%).

In other words...

"The service, the food and the layout of the space were all PERFECT!!! In fact we have had many of our guests tell us that our wedding was the best they have ever attended in part because of the venue. We really couldn't have picked a better spot to celebrate the most important day of our life. The food was beautiful and our friends and family have mentioned on numerous occasions that it was one of the best buffet spreads they have ever experienced." - Lindsay & Nathan Hall, married July 26 2008

"I found that Ivey was the only location that I could hold everything at and still be very private... It was very important to me that my family and guests felt special. Also, our ceremony was held outdoors and this location allowed myself and the wedding party to have a grand entrance coming down the back stairs... It was great working with Al. He responded to all my questions quickly and he was there when I needed to come in. He was very knowledgeable and very experienced so I had no worries that I wouldn't be happy with everything from organizing people the day of, to the dinner, to the décor. He was my personal Wedding Planner and it made planning the wedding so much easier." - Trish & Ryan Hillinger, married August 16, 2008

For more information...

To find out more, check out www.iveyspencerleadershipcentre.com, where you can peruse menus and wedding packages in further detail. Take a drive by 551 Windermere Road in London to see the Spencer building and grounds for yourself! For further information on available dates and to set-up an appointment to meet with Cliff Fielder, please contact Jennifer Clark at 519-675-5529 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .